1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a gasket for installation between components that under operating conditions are subjected to temperature dependent relative motions, in particular a cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine.
2. Related Art
To seal against media, for example in combustion chamber seals of internal combustion engines, sealing elements are required between the surfaces to be sealed. These elements are usually formed with gaskets, such as cylinder head gaskets. Current internal combustion engines are, in many cases, manufactured from a motor block consisting of cast material and a cylinder head consisting of light metal. Due to different thermal expansions of the named materials, a slide motion occurs between the motor block and the cylinder head, where these motions are absorbed by the cylinder head gaskets, which up to now, are normally constructed as multi-layer but one-piece. As a consequence of the different operating temperatures to which internal combustion engines are subjected, these slide motions turn out to a greater or lesser extent, whereby an increased frictional wear, due to the relative motion of the motor block relative to the cylinder head, or vice versa, occurs on the surfaces to be sealed, that can lead to leakage.
It was attempted to bring about an improved glide motion of the surfaces to be sealed over the seal through the coating of the surfaces. In practice however, this was not successful.
In German patent DE-C 195 12 650, a cylinder head gasket for an internal combustion engine has been disclosed that has a multi-layer assembly, in which in particular, on the combustion-chamber side wire rings are arranged between the individual layers, so that the affected layers carry out a type of roll motion and the relative motion between the motor block and the cylinder head, consequently is shifted into the area of the seal. The design assembly of this cylinder head gasket in this case is regarded as complex. As a result of the pressing at the assembly, the wire ring is pressed into the surrounding sealing material, whereby a roll motion of the layers is hampered in the case of the relative motion of the surrounding components.